Engine-frame construction



Oct. 26 1926. 1,304,412

H. L. HORNING ENGINE'FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed April 6, 925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fzvenz? fi arfy Z. fibrm 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm v 1 l/VllkHM-HIFIIIIIII. NVIK jr zzyenz ofi jfarry l .Horning Oct. 26, 1926.

H. L. HORNING ENGINE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed April 6, 1925 Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UITED STATES 1,604,412 PTENT OFFEQE.

I-EAItftY L. HORNING, OF WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB, TO WAUKESHA MOTOR COMPANY, OF VIAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, A COEORATION OF WISCONSIN.

ENGINE-FRAME CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 6, 1925.

My invention relates to explosive engine frames, and one of the important objects is to provide improved construction, arrangement, and division of frame parts Which will greatly increase the rigidity and strength, particularly of the crank case parts which must support the greatest strains and loads. Another important object of the invention is to construct and arrange the engine frame work that the valve tappeit structures will be supported on the same main frame part as the cam shaft structure, and the engine cylinders together with their controlling valves will be supported from another main frame part, thus permitting ready separation of the cylinder structures and their valves from the valve operating mechanism.

As the tappet structures and valves must be accessible for inspection, adjustment or repairs, the adjacent wall of the engine frame part is provided with access openings, but the removal of metal to provide such openings materially weakens the frame structure. Therefore, another object of my invention is to provide compensation or reenforeing construction which will compensate in strength and rigidity for the loss of strength and rigidity occasioned by the provision of inspection or access openings in the frame. In my improved construction, the access openings to the tappet and valve structures are provided in the crank case or main frame part and the compensating frame structure forms part of such frame part.

The above and other features of my invention are illustrated on the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevational view, partly in vertical section, of an end of the engine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view partly broken away and partly in section to show my improved features of construction and arrangement, and

Fig. 3 is a plan vieW with the upper frame part removed and with the main frame structure partly in section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The engine frame work comprises the main or crank shaft section 10, the cylinder section 11, the cylinder cap section 12, and the oil well or pan section 13. At its sides, the main frame has the shoulder 14 by means of which the engine structure may be supported on a suitable support, as for example, the

Serial No. 20,996.

chassis of a vehicle. The oil frame or crank case bottom 13 is supported from the main body part by means of the bolts 15, while the cylinder section and its cap are secured to the main body part by the bolts 16. The

top of the crank case or main frame part is in a plane just below the Water jackets or space 17 for the cylinders, the lower end casing of the cylinders being in the form of skirts or extensions 18 which project through the openings 19 provided in the topwall of the crank case part. This raising or increase in height of the main body section 10, greatly increases the rigidity and strength thereof. This man part and the lower part 13 are usually made of aluminum to cut down the weight. As the main or bodypart must support the entire weight and load of the engine and must resist all stresses and strains to which it will be subjected by the rapidly moving propulsion parts while the engine is running, and the frame must also resist the bumps, blows and strains it receives from the vehicle body while the vehicle is traveling over the road, the increase in vertical direction greatly increases the transverse dimensions of the frame which will very greatlystrengthen the frame and increase its stiffness and rigidity, so that the travel ing engine parts will, at all times, be kept in proper and eflicient Working relationship. The raising of the body part also brings its top surface in the clear where it can be readily finished off in the simplest manner.

The main body part 10 has transverse partitions 20 providing intermediate bearing structures 21 and 22 for the crank shaft 23 and cam shaft 24:, respectively, these shafts at their outer ends being journalcd in the bearing structures 25 and 26, respectively, in the end walls of the frame. The engine shown has six cylinders for each of which is provided an intake valve 27 and an exhaust valve 28. Between the lower end of each valve stem and the corresponding cam 29 on the cam shaft is interposed a tappet structure 30 for communicating the cam movements to the valves. In order that these tapp-et structures and the valves may be accessible for inspection, adjustment or replacement. openings 31 are provided in the adjacent wall of the body part 10. Three such openings are shown and each gives cess to the tappet and valve structures of two cylinders. By cutting out the material iii) to provide the openings 31, the frame is therefrom to form a compartment for opweakened and to compensate for this loss in strength and rigidity I provide the wallj 2 extending from end to end of the frame part and a short distance behind the wall in which the openings 31 are cut. The partitions which support the crank shaft and cam shaft extend upwardly between the access opening wall and the strengthening wall 32 so as to form three compartments 0 each of which accommodates four tappet struc tures and four valve structures. In each compartment I provide a supporting frame 7 for the tappet structures, the frame having the vertical bearing enlargements 33 for the tappet structures. The strengthening wall 32 is also connected with the access opening wall by the upper and lower horizontal wall sections 3-l and 35. The wall 35 has the opening 36 in each compartment 0 for accommodating the tappet frame and lower ends of the tappets. The upper wall 34 has the openings 37 through which the valve bushings and springs 38 and 39 are extended in operative position relative to the tap pets when the cylinder frame part 11 is applied to the body part 10.

Each tappet frame is detachably secured to the wall 32 by means of screws 40 and by withdrawing the screws the tappet frames with the tappet structures therein can be removed through the access openings 31. Through these openings, the valve spring seat ill and the springs can also be readily withdrawn, if desired. For each of the access openings 31 a cover d2 is provided, detachably secured by the stud L3 and nut l-l, the stud extending from the wall 32, as clearly shown in Figure l.

By releasing the screws 16, the cylinder structure frame parts 11 and 12 can be lifted from the main part 10,.the various valves going with the removed parts, but the tap pet structures remainii'ig in the part 10 so that their adjustment relative to the cam shaft will not be disturbed.

To further increase the rigidity and strength of the main fran'ie part 10, neavy side flange or peripheral base section my be provided and these flanges may be grooved out, as indicated at. 46, to reduce the weight.

I have produced very practical and efficient construction ano arrangement of supporting frame parts which will give ready access to the valve controlling elements without sacrificing any of the strength or rigidity of the fran'iework. I do not desire to be limited to the exact arrangement shown, as modifications are possible which will still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. An explosive engine frame having an access opening in one wall thereof, an inner wall bridging said opening a short distance crating devices, said inner wall being independent of the engine cylinder walls and forming a reenforcement for said frame wall to con pensate for the strength loss caused by said access opening.

2. In an explosive engine, a crank case having access openings in a side wall there of, and reenforcing wall bridged across said openings a short distance behind said side wall to form compartments for engine operative parts accessible through said openings, said reenforcing wall being separate from the engine cylinder walls.

In an explosive engine, the combination of a crank case, a crank shaft and a cam shaft journaled in said case, a cylinder frame mounted on top of said crank case and having cylinders extending into said crank case, pistons for said cylinders connected with said crank shaft, access openings in a side wall of said crank case, a strengthening wall structure bridging said openings and spaced from said crank case wall to form compartments accessible throitigh said openings, said compartments having openings communicating with said crank case, tappet structures supported within said compartments and extending into said crank case for association with said cam shaft, valves for said cylinders on said cylinder frame, and valve stems for said valves, said compartments having openings in their upper walls throughwhich said stems may extend into said compartments for cooperation with said tappet structures.

l. In an explosive engine, a crank case having a side wall, an inner wall extending from end to end of said crank case and downwardly from the top wall thereof and a distance inwardly of said side wall, partition walls between said side wall and inner wall forming compartments, said crank case side wall having access openings leading to said compartments, said inner wall reenforcing said side wall and serving as a support for engine operating parts.

5. In an explosion engine, the combination of a crank case, a cylinder structure mounted on top of said crank case, an inner wall extending from end to end of said crank case downwardly from the top thereof and a distance inwardly from a side wall of said crank case, a bottom wall connecting said inner wall with said side wall and partition walls extending transversely between said inner wall and side wall whereby the space between said walls forms compartments, an access opening in said side wall for each compartment, a cam shaft in said crank case below said compartments, tappet structures detachably supported on said inner wall, valves for said cylinder structures, and openings in the top wall of said compartments for insertion of said valves into cooperative relation in said compartments With said tappet structures.

6. In an explosive engine, a crank case in the form of an integral casting, an inner wall structure extending longitudinally end to end of said crank case and transversely to a side Wall thereof to form a space, access openings in said side Wall communicating with said space, partitions extending between said Walls intermediate said openings to form coniipartments accessible through said openings, said inner wall structure compensating for any strength lost by Virtue of said access openings, and operating parts detachably secured on said inner Wall struc ture Within said compartments.

7 In an explosive engine, the combination of a crank case, a cylinder frame thereon, access opening in one of the side Walls of said crank case, a reentorcing Wall bridging the inner side of said access opening and spaced a distance away theretron'i to form a coinpartment with the crank case Wall, said reentorcing Wall being entirel; separate from and independent of said cylinder frame, and engine operation controlling parts in said COIHPQLFUl'lGDlL accessible through said access opening.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe ny name this 30th day of March, 1925.

HARRY L. HORNING. 

